


Learning to love you

by lets_winwin



Series: Chain reaction [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, M/M, Mark is shy, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Top Seo Youngho | Johnny, haechan is a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 08:05:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lets_winwin/pseuds/lets_winwin
Summary: - Johnny tries to get through his rut with suppressants and without Ten. It was a bad plan from the start.-- Mark is very confused, even when Haechan tries to be obvious.-





	Learning to love you

**Author's Note:**

> [ reading part one will help you understand this universe much more, and what type of relationships ten x johnny and mark x haechan have.]
> 
> [ next part to this series will also have both of the main ships in this chapter, so feel free to bookmark this series to see what happens next. ]

It didn’t really come as a surprise to anyone, when someone else soon went into rut.

It all began with Jisung, and he triggered Jungwoo. Now, next in line was Johnny.

The oldest Alpha had went through enough ruts in his life to notice his own symptoms before it was too late.

Not even a day later when Jungwoo finished with his heat, Johnny found himself turning slightly agitated and annoyed even when there was no need for it. He didn’t think too much of it at first, and just blamed it all on stress because of the upcoming comeback.

But that quickly turned out to not be it.

Cursing, Johnny looked at himself from the practice mirror, trying to get his movements right like Jaehyun was able to do. But it just wasn’t working out. Sweat dripping down his skin, he sighed and took a step back.

Hands leaning against his waist, he looked at his own reflection. He looked pretty bad.

‘Take a break hyung.’ Jaehyun spoke, placing a hand on Johnny’s shoulder.

Johnny shook his head slightly. ‘No, i’m okay. I just need to- i need to get it right.’ He assured the other Alpha, who looked slightly unsure.

Jaehyun finally nodded his head, giving Johnny some space as he went over and helped the Beta’s grouped together at the other side of the practice room. They were laughing loudly, joking around as Taeil kept getting the moves slightly wrong. Johnny would have loved to go and joke around with them too, but he found himself going towards his backpack instead.

Grabbing the small pill bottle from his front pocket, Johnny opened it and popped one of the pills onto his palm. He looked at the pill for a moment, then chucking it inside his mouth. This must have been his second suppressant of the day, he reminded himself, not wanting to go over the recommended amount.

Closing the pill bottle, Johnny placed it back inside his backpack, trying not to roll around the pill in his mouth before getting his water bottle, because the pill tasted absolutely disgusting.

Just as he took a mouthful of water, swallowing once, Lucas’ big hand slapped against his shoulder, almost making him choke. 

‘You’re taking suppressants again?’ The younger Alpha asked, waiting for Johnny to swallow properly and catch his breath.

‘Yeah.’ Johnny finally said. ‘This is the last one i can take for today.’

Lucas shook his head, letting out a odd sound. ‘I don’t understand hyung.’ He murmured. ‘Why do you even take them? You could just rest and get through your rut with Ten.’

The unmated Alpha wouldn’t know about these things that well, compared to Johnny, who has been mated with Ten for years now.

Johnny shook his head. ‘I need to wait. Ten hasn’t gone into heat yet. We should get through mating season together. I don’t want to make him help me through my rut, and then he would have his heat later.’

The confused look on Lucas’ face was amusing.

It always seemed like people thought that the ideal relationship was between an Alpha and an Omega, but things got really complicated at times. 

Heats and ruts came randomly during the spring. Sure, they got triggered by others but the reaction always came late. Having been together for so long, Johnny and Ten know by tradition now that Johnny always goes into rut before him. 

Sometimes they lap over each other's, but that was rare. Still, every single spring Johnny secretly tried to slow his rut down, stop it from coming fully with suppressants so that he could wait for Ten’s heat. This way it became easier for both of them to fight through the mating season. But god did things get complicated. This is why Johnny sometimes gets jealous when he looks at the Betas, who do not go through the struggles of ruts and heats- unless their mate does.

‘You’re going to be in pain though…’ Lucas says as he goes through Johnny’s thought progress in his head. ‘Trying to slow down a rut is really not a good idea.’

Johnny smiles. ‘I appreciate you being worried, but i have already done this a few times. It’s all good. I can get through it.’ 

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. ‘Whatever you say. But i still think that you’re being kinda silly. I bet Ten hyung doesn’t agree with you doing this.’

Now that was one thing Lucas was right about. Ten hated it when Johnny took suppressants. Not only were they literal poison to his system, but Ten didn’t like his mate hiding something from him. Not as a possessive way, but just because he knew how Johnny loved to keep things a secret from him- in an attempt to make things easier for Ten. But he didn’t need to be protected. Though he was a Omega, he sometimes didn’t act like it.

Johnny still remembers when they first met as trainees, bickering about every single thing and making fun of each other. Johnny always acknowledged that Ten was a Omega, and as the leader Alpha Johnny sometimes wished that Ten would have respected him like the other members did, but that never happened.

Ten kept on being an annoying little shit, that Johnny eventually fell in love with. To this day, Ten is the only one if the pack that gets to boss him around, even when the other members are there to see it. Johnny doesn’t have the heart to depress anyone by using his position as the leader- let alone his own mate. You could say, that he was kinda whipped.

‘Come on, let’s get back to practice. We still need to finish this part before we can order food.’ Johnny said, laughing when Lucas’ eyes lit up with the mention of food.

 

*

 

Separating them into two dorms according to their roles was a good and a bad thing. 

First it was a really good idea, and Johnny really supported the thought straight from the start when one of their managers brought it up. He had to think about everyone as the Alpha leader after all, and knowing that unmated Omegas shared the same room with Betas and Alphas was not a good idea.

But now, he cannot help but be a little selfish. He really misses Ten.

He misses his comforting scent, his touch and his laugh. Even before they were mated, Johnny always found himself sticking to the Omegas side, missing his aura.

Now, when he was getting closer to his rut, the need to be near the other got stronger.

*

 

Sharing a room with Jaehyun was not a first, as he and the other Alpha had shared rooms together many times before. Back then when they were just trainees and Jaehyun had just joined the new team preparing to become NCT. Back then, everyone- including Johnny- thought that Jaehyun would challenge Johnny and fight for the spot as an Alpha leader, but that never happened.

Jaehyun was a very chill person, he didn’t want to try and cause any trouble. He was happy with how things were and never thought Johnny shouldn’t be the leading Alpha of their pack.

After that he and Johnny have worked together a lot, in NCT 127’s promotion as well as their co-hosted radio program. Speaking of it, the two of them were preparing for tonight's live recording. Sitting in the backseat of their managers car, blasting music through the speakers. 

Jaehyun was busy texting Taeyong, making sure his mate was alright. Johnny chose not to text Ten, as he knew the other was busy trying to learn his solo dance part in their future comeback as NCT 2018.

The sound of their manager clearing his throat caught their attention, looking up from their phones.

‘You guys, i think we need to come up with a backup plan soon.’ He spoke, spinning the steering wheel as they made a turn to the stations parking complex. ‘I’m thinking we get two of the Beta members to cover for you guys.’

Jaehyun nodded his head. ‘Yeah, like last year. I think Mark and Doyoung would love to be the hosts again.’

Their manager nodded his head, parking their car and unlocking his seatbelt. Before stepping out of the car, he turned to the two on the backseat. 

‘I know that we delivered suppressants to the dorm last week, and they should last all three of you Alphas, but have you started taking them yet?’

‘No.’ Jaehyun said quickly. ‘I won’t be taking them this year. They gave me such a bad headache, it wasn’t worth it.’

That was true. The bad symptoms that the suppressants gave were sometimes even worse than the actual symptoms of a rut. Jaehyun as an example got really bad migraines and joint pain. He had taken the suppressants for a few years in a row, but ever since mating with Taeyoung, he didn’t need to take them.

Johnny also knew for a fact that Lucas would not be taking them either, and Jisung already passed his rut, so he didn’t need them either. Lucky kid.

‘I started taking them a few days ago.’ Johnny confessed, fiddling with the cords of his earphones in order to get them go into his pocket.

Jaehyun gave him a surprised look, not even knowing about his friends rut getting closer. But then again, it was spring- so they were all getting closer.

Their manager nodded his head. ‘That’s alright. You know what’s the best for you.’ He said and exited the car. Johnny really hoped that was the end of the conversation, but Jaehyun had other ideas when he grabbed onto the sleeve of Johnny’s jacket, looking back at him. 

‘Did something happen between you and Ten?’ He suddenly asked, looking to see that their manager was further away. They didn’t really need to lower their voice, as everyone- including the fans- knew the fact that Ten and Johnny were mated. They were the only couple ‘out’ to the public in the group.

‘No, why?’ Johnny asked, wanting to avoid the question.

Jaehyun let out a sigh, letting go of the other's jacket. ‘Well because you’re taking suppressants. Does Ten know that?’ That was a dumb question, because if Ten knew then he wouldn’t be taking the suppressants even in the first place. Because the other wouldn’t let him.

Johnny shook his head. ‘No he doesn’t know yet, and he doesn’t need to.’ To which Jaehyun sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.

‘I just don’t want to stress him out!’ Johnny said, trying to defend himself. ‘He has so many things to deal with right now, and he doesn’t have to worry about me on top of all of that. Besides, he always gets his heat after my rut. I just need to wait and keep taking the suppressants, so we can get through the mating season together.’

Jaehyun stared at him for a moment, looking dumbfounded. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’ 

‘The suppressants never work properly. You’re still going to be in pain and discomfort.’ Jaehyun reminded him. ‘Doesn’t Ten want to be there for you?’

‘Of course he does.’ Johnny says quietly. ‘But i don’t want him to, because i don’t want to be a bother.’

‘It’s not being a bother.’ Jaehyun murmurs, opening the car door on his side. ‘I think you need to talk to him, before things get really bad.’ Then he gets out and closes the door behind him.

Before getting out as well, Johnny sinks deeper into the car seat, sighing deeply.

He hated it when Jaehyun was right.

 

*

 

The kids were being their usual selves, really really loud. Unlike what some fans thought, Ten didn’t usually mind the noise that the younger members made, and he usually loved to hang out with them too, but not tonight.

Ten frowned, turning off his phone and placing it on his pillow. Waiting literally two seconds, he picked it up again and let out a sigh.

‘Johnny’s not answering your messages?’ Taeyong asked, a piece of licorice hanging from his mouth as he folded his own clothes.

Ten nodded his head, humming. ‘I guess he already went to sleep after the radio schedule.’ 

‘Possibly.’ Taeyong sung, dancing slightly as a new song started to play from his bluetooth speaker. He stopped for a moment, looking over to Ten, who still looked very unsure and worried. He snapped the licorice between his teeth, chewing on it fast. ‘But you don’t think that’s possible?’ 

‘I mean,’ Ten sighed, leaning back against his arms on the bed, looking at Taeyong. ‘he never goes to bed after radio. He always stays up and watches those dumb game videos.’

Taeyong let out a laugh, finding it funny how well Ten knew his mate. But that was only natural. ‘Maybe you’re just worrying too much.’ He said. ‘But i get why, spring always makes us all stressed.’

That was true. Ten knew his own heat was coming any day now, and he always felt a bit on edge whenever he was getting near it. He was never looking forward to it.

‘Yeah, i hope so.’ He said, nodding his head. Yeah, he’s just over reacting. The stress of the comeback and spring was taking a toll on all of them.

Looking at Taeyong dance funnily for a moment, he reaches for his phone for the last time that night, searching for his number one contact.

i love you, please text me back in the morning ♥♥♥ good night...

*

 

Ten really hated to be the clingy and stalker type, but he couldn’t help himself.

Johnny answered his texts finally at four in the morning- which was odd enough on it’s own- and he didn’t really bother answering his previous texts at all. Ten got the vibe that he was being ignored, that was very rare when it came to Johnny. Because the tall, awkward man of a baby was actually very affectionate. But Ten knew his mate well enough, and realized the course of things. It was like dejavu, when he remembered the same thing happening last year. 

Johnny was really trying to avoid him because of his rut, and if he was correct- the idiot was also probably taking suppressants too. Ten sighed underneath his breath when he exited the Omegas dance practice room. He needed to come up with some kind of plan, so he could find out if he was actually correct or just overthinking things. But it would be tough.

Thanks to the rule of Omegas not being able to enter the Beta-Alpha dorms and vice versa, Ten couldn’t just walk into the other dorm and meet him there. Well, he could. He’s pretty sure everyone else but he have already broken that rule multiple times. But he already has the manages staring at his every movement, because he once snuck out of the dorms without permission to see movie alone and he received a ‘yellow card’. He doesn’t know what would happen to him if he would be caught again, but he isn’t really keen on finding out either.

So he needed some help, and he knew just the person who to go to.

 

*

 

‘You want me to go into the other dorm?’ Haechan asked, wide eyed as he made sure he had heard Ten correctly. The thai Omega just nodded his head cheerfully.

‘Why would i do that? You do know that i also have a yellow card, because- because of some stuff that you don’t need to know.’ He said with a weird laugh, then taking a sip out of his drink nervously.

Ten cleared his throat. ‘Look, all i need you to do is go there and see if i’m correct. I would do it on my own, but i don’t want Johnny to see me. I’m mad.’ He pouted, and Haechan rolled his eyes.

‘Besides, none of the Betas or Alphas are helping me. Jaehyun isn’t saying shit, Lucas is an idiot and Jisung is too innocent to know anything.’ Ten explained.

‘I’m innocent too, why do i need to go and check if your mate has gone into rut?’ Haechan cried.

‘That’s a lie and you know it.’ Ten laughed, seeing the smirk on Haechan’s face.

‘I don’t know hyung.’ Haechan said, tilting his head. ‘I don’t know if it’s worth me risking to get punished by the managers. If Jeno or Jisung see me there, they will tell on me for sure.’ He whined, playing with the straw in his drink.

Ten tapped his feet against the dance room floor, biting his bottom lip. Haechan glanced back at him, attempting to look like a puppy. It never worked on Ten.

‘I’ll give you 10,000 won.’ Ten then said.

‘Make it 50,000.’ Haechan smiled.

Ten kept a poker face. ‘25,000 or nothing.’

Haechan reached his hand, happily shaking Ten’s. ‘You have yourself a deal.’ He sung happily. ‘I would have been happy with 15,000 too, but it was good making business with you.’ 

‘You’re so annoying.’ Ten laughed, playfully squeezing the other's hand.

Haechan whined, pulling his hand away. He shook his head, overreacting. ‘You know, if Johnny really is in rut and i go see him- if i go into heat because of him, i’ll be rising the price to that 50,000 mentioned earlier.’

‘Whatever.’ Ten said, crossing his arms. ‘I’ll make Johnny pay for it anyways.’

‘Now that's smart.’ Haechan cheered, high fiving Ten. 

 

*

 

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ Mark asked, yanking out the earphones out off his ears, leaning forward as he noticed Haechan walk through the Alpha / Beta dorms living room.

Haechan paused, turning to look at Mark- who he hadn’t noticed when entering the dorm as quietly as possible. He let out a sigh, walking up to Mark while holding up his finger to make the othe stay quiet.

Whispering, Haechan took out 5,000 won from his front pocket. ‘I’ll let you have this if you don’t tell the managers on me.’ He smiled sweetly, waving the cash in front of Mark’s big eyes.

‘No thanks.’ Mark laughed. ‘Who knows, maybe you stole that money from someone.’

Haechan pouted. ‘No, not this time. I’m sad that you would even think that way about me.’ He fake cried, putting his money back. He couldn’t however blame Mark for thinking the way that he did, because Haechan indeed did have a bad habit of getting caught for stealing stuff. He was a sneaky Omega.

‘Why are you here anyways.’ Mark murmured, pausing the video that was playing on his phone. ‘I feel like i’m the only one following the rule of not being allowed to enter the other dorm.’ He sighed.

‘That’s what you get for being the good Christian boy that you are.’ Haechan smiled, ignoring the way that Mark glared at him. If he could, the older Beta would smack him against the back of his head with something.

‘Ten hyung is following the rule too though.’ Haechan said, taking a seat next to Mark. He knew that was a mistake, because his scent would be left behind, but he decided to ignore that possibility. ‘That’s why i’m here.’

‘Because of Ten hyung?’ Mark asked, moving further away from Haechan as the other got slightly closer to him. Haechan threw a confused look towards him, but ignored it.

‘Yeah.’ Haechan then said. ‘He thinks Johnny hyung might be going into rut and is taking suppressants.’ Mark closed his lips tightly at the mention of suppressants, looking almost uncomfortable. Haechan knew that he knew something that he didn’t. Haechan stared at him, seeing how he avoided his eyes completely.

Mark said with a stutter. ‘I don’t know anything about that, sorry.’ Haechan hummed, amused.

‘I guess so.’ He said, getting up from the couch. ‘I guess i have no other choice but to go and see for myself.’ He spoke, dancing on his feet slowly while walking towards Johnny’s room. ‘It would be too bad if his scent made me go into heat though-’

Mark’s hand was already grabbing his arm, stopping him from moving.

Smiling sweetly, Haechan looked back at Mark. 

Mark sighed, slowly letting go off the other's arm. ‘Don’t go in there.’ He finally murmured out.

‘Is it that bad?’ Haechan managed to ask, looking over to the Alpha’s room on the other side of the dorm. To be honest, the scent was quite strong even from the front door. Haechan understood why the Omega’s were not allowed to come into the other dorm now. He began to wonder if him coming here would have a bad effect on others.

Mark nodded his head. ‘Yeah it is. Taeyong broke the rules yesterday and came to see Jaehyun. He was close to passing out.’ Mark sighed. ‘I’m not surprised if he goes into heat next.’

Haechan nodded his head, rubbing his fingers against his hand, where Mark had been holding onto. ‘I guess the suppressants do nothing then.’

‘They are useless.’ Mark said, noticing the way Haechan was holding his hand. ‘Did i hurt you?’

‘Huh? Oh, no.’ Haechan said, shaking his head. Mark kept on looking for a moment before he finally looked away, Haechan not missing the way that his cheeks flushed with red.

Their relationship- if you could even call it that- was weird. Haechan didn’t even have the energy to go into it tonight, as he was so tired after practice. He came here just for one thing, and he got his answer.

‘I’ll-i’ll get going now.’ Haechan whispered, seeing Mark nod his head slightly. He stood still for a moment, then taking his first steps towards the door leading outside. He put on his shoes and grabbed his jacket. He paused before opening the door, looking back into the living room from behind the corner.

‘Mark hyung.’ Haechan whispered, catching the other's attention.

‘Yeah?’ Mark spoke, walking up to the other. He held his hands inside his pockets awkwardly, his glasses moving down his nose just slightly.

Haechan fiddled with the string in his hoodie, looking at Mark for a moment before finding the right words. There really was no other way to ask, without being too forward with his words. But that was okay, because you needed to do that with Mark sometimes or otherwise he wouldn’t understand at all.

‘Can you borrow me your clothes again, because- you know... ‘ Haechan said, standing awkwardly while hugging the corner of the wall.

Mark looked like he was hit with a million dollar question on a variety show and he couldn’t even remember his own name. Haechan didn’t like to use the word ‘cute’ lightly, but this was the perfect moment. Mark looked cute. 

‘Uhh, s-sure.’ He murmured, voice breaking just slightly, making Haechan hide his laugh. He stood still for a moment before stumbling back quickly and disappearing into his and Doyoung’s room. 

Asking for scented clothes from Betas and Alphas never got easier. Haechan has gone through two heats already after getting his role, and both time were pretty bad. He remembers the first time, when Ten and Taeyong made sure he was alright and wasn’t in too much pain. But it was still really bad. Then, Ten took Johnny’s clothes and gave them to him, the Alpha’s scent calming him down a little. If Haechan had payed attention in school- he would have probably known more about scenting and what that is all about but as you could guess- he didn’t. He just knows that he can get through his heats better when there is something to hold onto that smells like a Beta or an Alpha. 

What he learned last year, during his second heat ever, was that he needed Mark.

Walking over quietly, Mark held out the large grey t-shirt that Haechan remembers well. ‘You had this the last time too.’ He murmured quietly.

Haechan nodded his head, taking the t-shirt in his hands. ‘Thank you hyung.’ He smiled. ‘I know this stuff weirds you out a little-’

‘It’s alright.’ Mark cuts him off. ‘It’s not weirding me out, it’s just…’

It’s just… Different, from what they used to be.

Haechan nodded his head again, stuffing the t-shirt into his backpack. Mark stood there, arms crossed and face frozen in a stern look. Instead of staying and making things anymore weirder than they needed to be, Haechan headed out off the door, closing it tightly behind him.

His heart racing, he held onto the straps on his backpack tightly, rolling his head back in annoyance. ‘Damn you Ten hyung.’

 

*

 

Jaehyun rolled his eyes as he looked at his friend, who had been telling him just a few minutes ago that he was fine. Now, Johnny was burying his head into the pillows, groaning as his headache got even worse. Even when he had gotten out off the showers just a moment ago, the stench of Alpha and rut was strong in the air. Even Jaehyun could notice it, when he was a Alpha. He made sure to tell Taeyong not to come over anymore, because this amount of scent was enough to make anyone go into heat.

‘Did you take your painkillers?’ Jaehyun asked, looking at his friend worriedly. 

Johnny murmured something, that Jaehyun couldn’t really hear properly. He asked him to repeat himself and Johnny just let out a long groan. That probably meant, yes, but they weren’t working. Of course they weren’t. Painkillers did nothing helpful during ruts and heats. Johnny was aware of that took.

‘This has gone on for way too long.’ Jaehyun said, grabbing his own phone from his pocket. The growl that Johnny let out almost made him drop the damn thing.

‘Don’t call him.’ Johnny whined, having turned around in his bed. ‘Ten doesn’t need to come.’

‘You’re being an idiot.’ Jaehyun said, shaking his head. ‘Ten is going to kill you once he finds out what you have been doing.’

Johnny groaned against the pillows. ‘Yeah, i know that.’

Jaehyun held his phone in his hand, looking down at it. He remembers how he had to ignore Ten’s messages before- because Johnny made him. Jaehyun would be dead too when Ten finds out what has been going on.

It didn’t take long before Johnny was passed out on his bed, and Jaehyun left the room when he made sure that Johnny wouldn’t hear him leaving. He let out a deep sigh, entering the living room.

‘How is it?’ Jeno asked, mouth full of chips. He saw the sour look on Jaehyun’s face and understood immediately. Jaehyun walked over to the couch, sitting down next to the Beta who was playing a game on the playstation. Jaehyun zoned out, looking at the screen, He didn’t even recognize Jaemin’s voice immediately. But when he did, he pretty much jumped from his seat and stared at the Omega.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ He asked, almost scaring the Omega who too was playing the game.

‘Don’t yell.’ Taemin hissed, making a face as his character died on the tv screen. He pouted, turning back to Jaehyun. ‘I’m sorry for breaking the rules, but i decided to come spend some time here.’ He said calmly.

‘Decided?’ Jaehyun asked, feeling his face change in confusion. 

Jaemin let out a sigh, leaning back against the couch. ‘I don’t want to wait for my heat this year.’ He simply said. ‘I’m always the last one to get it, and that makes the manages and everyone frustrated. Me too.’

Jaehyun pressed his fingers against the middle of his brows, pressing down against the skin as he felt a migraine coming. He had to deal with this shit now that Johnny was out off the game, not being able to fulfill is spot as the Alpha leader.

‘You don’t- You, Jaemin you-’ Jaehyun tried to speak, but not finding the right words. He sighed, sitting back down against the couch. He placed his hand forward and Jaemin looked at it confused for a moment, before Jaehyun snatched the controller away and began playing the game. Jaemin let out a laugh, sitting cross legged between the Alpha and Beta.

Jaehyun rolled his head slightly, now focused on the game. ‘You can stay, but you have to deal with the consequences if you cause one of the remaining Alpha’s to go into rut. Or if the scent you bring back into the dorms with you causes someone’s heat.’

Jeno cursed underneath his breath, his own character taking hits from some enemy. ‘Hyung, does that really matter at this point anymore? Everyone is going to go through mating season anyways. No one can stop it from going.’

‘Go and tell that to Johnny hyung.’ Jaehyun murmured, annoyed.

Jaemin looked between the three of them, tapping his hands against his legs happily. ‘I could get Ten hyung and he could change his mind?’

Jaehyun targeted an enemy, blasting it’s head off with the gun he was holding. This was relaxing, in a weird way.

‘You know what?’ Jaehyun said, setting the playstation controller down. ‘That’s a great idea Jaemin.’ He said in a joking way. ‘Bringing Ten hyung into the Alpha dorm sounds like a great idea.’

Jaemin pouted. ‘Well, i wouldn’t bring him here to take care of Johnny hyung- i’m not that stupid. I’m just saying, that the two of them need to finally do something so Johnny hyung doesn’t need to suffer because he’s an idiot.’

Jeno squirmed in his seat, looking at the two. ‘Can’t you two plan this stuff somewhere else?’ He just received a mean look from Jaemin, deciding to shut up before saying something else.

‘What do you suggest?’ Jaehyun asked, finding it a little unbelieving that he was asking Jaeming for advice. 

Jaemin hummed, shifting in his seat. ‘Well, we can’t have them meet in neither of the dorms. That would be bad for Jisung and Chenle, they are still kids-’

‘You’re still a kid too.’ Jaehyun reminded the other.

‘Yeah, yeah, you didn’t let me finish.’ Jaemin said, voice high. He swallowed once, ignoring the smirk that Jeno had on his lips. ‘Anyways.’ He said , voice cracking.

 

They really didn’t come up with anything that evening. All they came up with was putting the two of them back into the same recording room that Doyoung and Jungwoo had used, but the thought was slightly uncomfortable. Besides, Jaehyun felt sorry for the cleaning lady.

They really needed to come up with something soon, so that the rest of them could get through their heats and ruts comfortably. Having only two dorms was making things impossible at the moment.

They didn’t come up with a plan that evening, and at the end of the day, Jaemin excited the dorm because he couldn’t handle the Alpha stench anymore. Jaehyun was sure that Jaemin would be interrogated in the dorm when he gets back, and he would need to explain himself to Ten and Taeyong. Also why he smells like Jaehyun and Johnny. Jaehyun already texted Taeyong, explaining himself so there wouldn’t be anything confusing between them. No one liked having their mate come back with someone else’s scent.

Whatever happened back at the Omega dorms, Jaehyun didn’t hear about it that night. He played a few more games with Jeno, before having to go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow's practice. It might get a little rough.

 

*

 

Everyone were a little tense in the other dance practice room. Everyone were looking around them awkwardly, eyeing Johnny carefully. The Alpha was in a pretty bad situation, looking like shit. And it was no wonder, because he felt like shit too.

‘Okay.’ Johnny spoke, turning to the rest. ‘Let’s start from the beginning again.’ Their dance practice teacher was sick- once again, and Johnny needed to lead the practice by himself. Usually the guys, like Lucas and Yuta would be messing around and making jokes, but today they were all quiet. As they knew how tense their leader was. No one wanted to make him angry.

‘Uhm, can i use the bathroom?’ Kun asked, lifting his hand awkwardly.

Johnny let out a loud sigh, shoulders dropping. ‘Yeah, i guess we can take a break.’ He finally said and everyone relaxed a little.

While everyone else turned to each other, talking about whatever came to their minds or using the break time to use the bathroom, Johnny dug out his phone and looked at it with a frown.

From Tenny; 

you shut ur phone off again didn’t u?

:(

please

call me when u have the time, ur making me worried, idiot

Johnny sighed, putting the phone away, knowing that what he was doing was wrong. He hated avoiding Ten, but he was doing the right thing in is own mind. Even when everyone else seemed to disagree with him. Even his own body.

He missed Ten so much, and graved for his scent and touch. He just wanted to hold him, get calmed down by his scent. But he didn’t want to cause him to go into heat and bring him pain that way. He wanted to wait for Ten to get his heat naturally, so he could help him then. Johnny never wanted to be the cause of someone else's pain, but he was playing a dangerous game. An Alpha walking around while in rut was always dangerous. No matter how good with self-discipline he was, Johnny always faced struggles when he was in rut. 

He woke up this morning and walked into the living room of their dorm, and he was hit with the scent of two Omegas. He should have known not everyone listened to the rules. He recognized the scents and realized Jaemin and Haechan had been in the dorm. Jaemin had spent an evening longer time there. Johnny felt bad for the other's, Lucas and Jaehyun who still had to go through their own ruts. He was relieved that Jisung already went through his own, because Johnny couldn’t predict what the younger would do during his own rut.

Jisung was the first of them to go into rut this year, and it was his first time. This happened just over a week ago, and they had been living in their previous dorms then. Johnny remembers being told how well Jisung had behaved and told Jeno that something was wrong. Though he was young kid, still going through puberty and fighting against the hormones and now a rut, none of the Omegas in the dorm got hurt. And Johnny was very proud to hear that.

He remembers his first rut too. It wasn’t fun, and Johnny isn’t proud of himself and how he handled the situation back then. 

This was years before he had even met Ten, and before they were together. Johnny was eighteen and single. The shock of the first rut was so bad that he knew he couldn’t get through it by himself. He didn’t have anyone around himself back then who could help him, as he remembers that all of his previous trainee dorm members were all already mated. So he used a common app on his phone instead, to get some company.

Johnny doesn’t remember much from it. The Beta who he was with was nice. They took good care of Johnny and made his rut bearable. But Johnny didn’t have any connection with that person, and didn’t enjoy the fact that their scent was mostly just tainted with the stench of cigarettes. 

Johnny spent the next few years and his ruts alone, because of his own choice. They were tough times, for the Alpha leader. But he knew he was saving himself for something better and for a good reason. He knew that straight from the moment he saw Ten.

The two of them didn’t experience love at first sight, or whatever people would call it. Instead they started off as trainees working towards the same goal, then as friends and after one dark night on top of the roof of their old practice room- mates.

Both of them had found comfort in each other's company for quite some time already. Johnny adored Ten to the moon and back and had never been shy to show his affection towards the other. But he was a bit awkward and shy when it came to most things. He was still new to being the Alpha leader, and didn’t know what to say and do at most times. Ten however was sure of what he wanted and what he wanted to say, when he asked Johnny if he liked him the same way as he did.

And Johnny did, he really did.

When it came to becoming mates, the both of them knew that they could be making a huge mistake. NCT had just debuted and was still very unknown and needed to grow as a group. Having a scandal surround them would not be good, and they both knew that even without having been told by the company. In the end- though it wasn’t the greatest way to do it- they mated without telling the company. They found out only later, when they had no other choice but to tell them. It wouldn’t have taken long for one of the stylists to notice the new mark on Ten’s shoulder after all. Besides, everyone could sense the change in them.

They didn’t get into too much trouble back then. Their managers did scold them, and there was a very serious meeting with the company officials as they now needed to figure out what to do. Johnny and Ten don’t remember too much from that meeting, as both were just too nervous to find out if they had been kicked out of the group. They eventually weren’t and the company made an official statement for their fans. Everyone was nervous that evening, but the response was surprisingly positive. 

Sure, there were some mean comments left underneath articles online and some even yelled towards them whenever they performed up on stage, but that didn’t bother them too much. After all, they now had each other.

 

*

 

‘Do the managers know about this?’ Jaehyun asked, watching as Taeyong moved a box full of his possessions to the side, beginning to unpack another box. Jaehyun looked at him, still confused even after Taeyong explained to him what was going on. Peeking behind him through the crack of the open door, he could see Chenle and Renjun moving things around in the living room.

‘No, they would kill us all if they find out.’ Taeyong murmured, ripping a piece of tape off of the box and opening it.

‘Of course.’ Jaehyun sighed, sitting down on his bed.

Taeyong had came up with a plan. A plan that was genius, but also stupid as hell. 

The plan was to split the two dorms more efficiently between them all, as being separated into the two dorms just by their roles clearly wasn’t working out at all. It was really complicated, but somehow Taeyong had managed to come up with a good combination that wouldn’t be dangerous to anyone. 

The plan was to move the Betas in with the Omegas. All the Alphas would live in their own dorm, and their mates would join them after getting their heat. The Beta dorm was a much more safer place for the Omegas, as they could not go into rut like the Alphas if they were near Omegas close to their heat. This plan made sure that they all had a place that they could go to when their heat or rut came, not having to go somewhere else.

The managers did not know about this, not even Johnny. But he would soon. Ten’s things were already moved into the living room, waiting for a place to go into.

This new plan didn’t make living a lot easier, as many of them needed to which places. The Beta/Omega dorm was going to be full of people.

The people staying in the Alpha dorm were Johnny, Jaehyun and their mates Ten and Taeyong. Because even though their heats hadn’t came yet, they would very soon and it was important for them to have their mates near them. Staying in the dorm was also Lucas, Jisung, Doyoung and Jungwoo. Though Jungwoo was an Omega and Doyoung was a Beta, the two could stay in the dorm because Jungwoo’s heat was already over. There would be eight of them living in the ‘Alpha’ dorm.

The rest of the members, ten of them, would live in the ‘Omega’ dorm.

Living in the dorm would be Omegas Renjun, Jaemin, Haechan, Chenle, Winwin and his mates Taeil and Yuta who were Betas. Plus the rest of the Betas; Mark, Jeno and Kun. It would be a tight fit, but they could live together through the mating season. Hopefully.

Jaehyun decided to help Taeyong by unpacking his things, going outside of the room to pick up more things that Taeyong dragged with him. In the living room, he bumped into someone, apologizing while looking back. What he did not expect was a slap against his arm as a response. He looked confused for a second, then realizing what it was about when he looked at Ten. Who was clearly upset.

‘You knew about Johnny taking suppressants and didn’t tell me?’ The short thai man asked, crossing his arms. Though an Alpha, Jaehyun felt himself turning smaller in front of the other's stern look. 

Jaehyun rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding the other's eyes. ‘I didn’t want to come in between anything.’ He murmured out, seeing Ten roll his eyes.

‘Would you be okay with me keeping secrets for you too? Like, what if Taeyong decided to start taking suppressants too and i didn’t tell you anything?’ Ten asked, wanting to make Jaehyun understand where he was coming from.

Jaehyun swallowed deeply. ‘I guess i would want to know about something like that.’ He confessed, gaining another small hit from Ten.

‘Exactly.’ He pouted. ‘That is exactly why i asked you if something was wrong. I thought you would be honest about these things.’ 

Feeling bad, Jaehyun apologized quickly. ‘I knew i should have said something, but i couldn’t. Because Johnny wouldn’t allow me. He just wanted to make sure that you wouldn’t get stressed because of him. He knew how hard you were working because of your solo part in the choreography…’ 

Ten sighed, relaxing a bit. ‘Yeah, i get that.’ He then said. ‘He is an idiot.’

Jaehyun smiled, placing a hand on Ten’s shoulder. The Omega was feeling bad for not being able to be there for his mate. He knew how much in pain the other must be in because of his rut, yet he didn’t have the heart to tell Ten that he needed help. Johnny needed to learn how to be more selfish at times, and not worry so much about others to the point where he forgot to take care of himself.

‘He didn’t want to cause you to go into heat.’ Jaehyun said, looking across the room to watch what the others were doing. He swore he heard Lucas drop something in the kitchen and swear loudly in cantonese. 

Ten let out a small laugh, shaking his head. ‘Like he could have any control over that. No one can stop this chain reaction.’ Which was true. No one had any control over the situation anymore. All of them would go into heat and have their ruts- even if they took surpresets and tried to avoid each other. This was something that they couldn’t run away from.

Patting Jaehyun’s back, Ten smiled suddenly. ‘Even when you didn’t tell me what was going on, i’m thankful that you took care of Johnny, even when he wouldn’t let you. He can be an idiot at times.’

‘You got that right.’ Jaehyun laughed. It really hadn’t been easy. Jaehyun was just happy knowing that they had a plan now that could work. Johnny and Ten would finally see each other again and be together. Johnny didn’t need to suffer through his rut anymore and Ten didn’t need to worry about him. 

 

*

 

Johnny was tired, he was exhausted.

He didn’t allow himself to leave the practice room until the sun went down and it became cold inside the practice room. He was drenched in sweat and every muscle in his body ached like he had been hit with a truck. Most of that pain didn’t even come from dancing so hard, but because his suppressants were wearing off again and he could feel his rut burning him from the inside.

Without showering in the dressing rooms, he grabbed his backpack and headed out off the practice room. It was a good thing that their dorm room was only a hallway away from their practice room because he wouldn’t have had the energy to walk any further.

Johnny thought that his head must be playing game with him, because as soon as he exited the elevator and stepped into the hallway leading into their dorm, he could smell Ten. Which should have been impossible since the Omega dorm room was on the other side of the building and their practice room as well. But the scent was still there, stronger than ever. Johnny swallowed deeply, leaning against the wall for support as he walked closer to the front door, pressing in the lock number.

He stepped inside the dorm and he was pushed back by all of the new scents that he hadn’t gotten used to during his rut. He could smell a lot of Omegas and he cursed underneath his breath. realizing that pretty much everyone had broken the rules at the point and they could all get into trouble. But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was the invisible power making his feet move forward one step at a time, moving like a robot towards it.

‘Look who decided to come back.’ Lucas laughed from the couch, his long legs propped up against the livingroom table. Johnny noticed Doyoung and Jungwoo there too, but he wasn’t going to even ask what the Omega was doing here or why he could hear Taeyong laughing somewhere close- because the only thing that mattered was that Ten was there, right in front of him.

Walking up to him, Ten smiled slightly as he put a finger against Johnny’s chest. Just that touch alone was able to make Johnny’s skin feel like it was on fire.

‘You stink.’ Ten said. ‘Of sweat and rut.’

Johnny felt the low growl escape his throat, hand gripping Ten’s hoodie. The younger one moved, removing Johnny’s hands from him with a sly smile.

‘Since you have been ignoring me for days now, i guess you don’t mind waiting for a while more. You can go shower, while i… get ready.’ Ten added with a whisper. He was still clearly upset because of the way that Johnny had been treating him but he wasn’t the devil. Though he sometimes acted like one. He wasn’t going to torture Johnny by being near him without letting him do anything. Ten just really wanted him to shower first, because he was in such rough shape.

The quiet promise in Ten’s words was enough to make Johnny’s rut symptoms spike. He didn’t even need to check to know that his eyes had turned red by this point. Ten had to physically push Johnny towards his room, to make him go wash up.

Johnny didn’t even acknowledge the lack of Jaehyun’s things in their once shared room, or the fact that Ten’s things had appeared everywhere. He was in too much of a hurry to think about anything else. He would know about it soon, and he would probably not like whatever was going on but right now he could care less. He quickly grabbed the things that he needed and headed towards the small bathroom that was connected to his and Jaehyun’s room. Having their own bathroom was a huge plus. It was a part of the perks of being one of the oldest Alpha’s.

He took the fastest shower of his life, quickly cleaning himself from all of the sweat that stuck to his skin after practice. Johnny knew how much Ten hated it when he didn’t wash himself properly after practice. The Omegas was a clean freak, and always made sure that Johnny stayed shower fresh- even when he was on his rut.

Hopping out off the shower, Johnny could hear someone come into his and Jaehyun’s room. With a towel wrapped around his middle, Johnny exited the bathroom. 

Johnny couldn’t tell if he moved or if it was Ten, but soon they were in each other's arms. A low growl escaped Johnny’s lips as he took in Ten’s scent. It was like a drug to him.

Ten shivered as Johnny’s tightened around him, needing his touch. 

‘You smell like suppressants.’ Ten murmured, moving a hand down Johnny’s bare side. His skin was burning hot to the touch. ‘I don’t like it.’ Ten added with a pout.

‘I know.’ Johnny murmured, licking his lips as he stared back at Ten, who’s big eyes were looking up at him. ‘I knew you wouldn’t like it when i took them.’

‘So you just decided not to tell me?’

Johnny would love to have this conversation any other day of the week, but not now when he was going into full rut, his suppressants wearing off quickly with every passing second. He was already fully hard, and Ten could tell that too from the way that Johnny was grinding against him, searching for any kind of friction. 

Grunting, Johnny nuzzled against Ten’s hair, attempting to look somewhat innocent. ‘I just didn’t want to worry you. I thought i could handle this on my own, until you would get your heat too.’

Ten laughed, his chest shaking gently. ‘You’re an idiot.’ He sighed.

Though he would have loved to continue making fun of his mate and preach Johnny about why he was slightly upset, Ten decided to go easy tonight. He could see how much in pain his mate already was, and didn’t want to cause him any more discomfort.

Even though Johnny was the leader Alpha, one of the oldest ones in the pack- in reality he was still just a huge baby. The large collection of toy plushies in his bed proved that pretty well.

Even though he didn’t want to admit it, Ten was slightly happy that Johnny had thought about him when taking his suppressants. Most of the time Ten didn’t like it when he took them- because Ten wanted to be a good mate and be there for him when Johnny was in rut. But just like Johnny said, he didn’t want to trigger Ten’s heat.

Ten had a history of having pretty rough heats. It wasn’t pretty.

Johnny didn’t want to see him in pain, so he understood why he had taken the suppressants and he was grateful that Johnny just wanted him to feel well. But like they all knew, nothing could stop the mating season. Ten would get his heat one way or another, so he didn't mind it if Johnny was the one to trigger it.

And that would probably happen, now that he was so close to his own heat and Johnny had gone into rut. His scent was almost suffocating.

Johnny did not waste time, when his lips attacked Ten’s neck.

Ten was never too into traditions, but he had to admit that it felt amazing when Johnny always redid his mark during his rut. To some it was a tradition that they liked to do during every mating season- while some only did it once during their first time.

Johnny let out a satisfied moan when Ten arched his neck, giving him permission to remark him. Johnny took pride in marking Ten. He loved knowing that everyone could see and scent that Ten was his mate. Everyone could see his old mark change it’s look after every mating season, which was embarrassing to some but Ten gave him full permission to do so.

Having remarked Ten, Johnny licked over the broken skin gently, his saliva healing the small cuts on the surface of his skin. Johnny always made sure to mark him gently, so that Ten wouldn’t end up with a messy mark on his neck. He still needed to look presentable.

Whining, Ten pushed Johnny slightly, telling him that they could move on from the marking. That was all the permission that Johnny needed to push the other down on his bed.

It didn’t take long before Ten’s clothes were removed and thrown onto the side, Johnny’s towel falling down naturally somewhere along the way.

Maybe it was the natural arousal, or his nearcoming heat that was suddenly making him act this way- but Ten was already feeling sensitive and very wet by the time Johnny was on top of his naked frame.

There really was no need for any kind of foreplay to get him going, as he was already guiding Johnny’s arm and long fingers to where he needed them the most.

Biting on Ten’s bottom lip, Johnny let out a curse when he felt the slick forming between Ten’s legs. The Omega moved his hips sensually, moaning as Johnny’s other hand held him down hard.

His rut was making his head hazy, and hard to think clearly- but Johnny always made sure to prepare Ten well. In his mind, his rut was not an excuse to think with his dick, like some Alphas sadly did. He never wanted to hurt Ten, even when the other would beg for it sometimes.

Ten really wasn’t lying when he said he would do some small preparations while Johnny was in the shower. Johnny was able to sink three of his long fingers inside of Ten as soon as he circled around his hole.

He tested the waters, moving his fingers in and out with lazy thrusts while Ten began to moan underneath him. Johnny ate up all of those small sounds, kissing him deeply.

Ten really didn’t need any more preparation, as he was urging Johnny to pull out his fingers already. That was all the Alpha needed, to finally take his mate.

Having controlled himself for all this time, it took a toll on him. Once he would let himself act freely, there was no going back. His Alpha would take full control. Ten knew this fully.

An Alpha in rut could be dangerous, if they are not thinking clearly. Ten could get hurt- seriously hurt, if Johnny lost all control and were driven only by his own need. This was always a risk when mating with an Alpha, but Ten has always known the risks. Ten didn’t want Johnny to hold himself back anymore.

Fingers tugging at the hair on the back of Johnny’s neck, Ten licked a tongue over his plump lips. ‘Take me, Alpha.’

Johnny didn’t really need anything else, as the command from Ten was enough, his role rolling off of his tongue in a sinful way. Growling, he forced Ten’s legs open even wider, making the other let out a breathy gasp. All of the noises that Ten were making were music to Johnny’s ears, feeding his ego.

‘I waited way too long to do this.’ Johnny whispered, eyes closing as he finally lined himself up with Ten’s opening, slowly pushing in. The tightness and heat alone was enough to make him go crazy and Ten’s small moans were making it almost impossible not to begin trusting into him immediately. Sweat dripping down his back, his rut fully in his system- in became harder to wait for Ten to adjust to his size. 

Ten’s nails were digging into his skin, probably marking the skin for days to come, but he could care less. Ten let out a deep hum, his chest vibrating as he took in a deep breath. Johnny managed to open his eyes and look at his mate, to make sure he was alright. Ten looked back at his red eyes, hand coming up to caress his face gently. 

‘Lose control.’ Ten whispered simply, his words sending Johnny into overdrive. That was the only thing that Johnny needed to hear, to finally start moving.

Not wasting time, because he was already in enough pain and discomfort because of his rut, Johnny began to snap his hips in a steady rhythm. He was grunting, growling by this point. He was sure everyone in the dorm could hear it, as well as Ten’s high pitched moans, but he could care less. Everyone had been aware that this would end up happening anyways, so it was their own fault if they didn’t turn on music or leave the living room right behind their door.

Johnny was also sure that the scent of pure sex and hormones must have been a lot, as he could feel it too. It felt like all air had been replaced with Ten’s scent. He was all he could feel, hear and breathe in.

It took a few position changes and heated kisses until Johnny was able to feel himself getting closer to his release, hungry for it. Knowing his knot was beginning to form, they switched to a more comfortable position.

Ten was very sensitive, near his own climax. He had almost came a few times already, but always stopped himself from coming by forcing himself to go through a dry orgasm. This was only because he wanted to come during the same time as Johnny, because he knew that if he were to come earlier he would have been way too sensitive to last through until Johnny would knot him.

His forehead pressed up against Ten’s chest, Johnny’s thrusts became more and more out of sync, hips snapping back in a desperate need of release. Gasping, Ten started to feel the stretch.

‘Yes, yes, give it to me.’ Ten moaned, eyes closing and nails scratching Johnny’s back. His back arched, Johnny’s hands held onto his hips for dear life, knot beginning to form. It took a few more thrusts before it was impossible to move without hurting Ten, and Johnny didn’t want that. To drive attention away from the pain, he grabbed Ten’s neglected dick and gave it a few lazy strokes. This was enough to make the younger one shake underneath him as he hit his own climax, shooting his load between their sweaty bodies.

Ten’s high moans and his walls clenching around his growing knot was what drove Johnny to his own climax. His knot locking them in place, pushing inside the other as far as he could go, Johnny shot his first load.

Humming, Johnny kissed Ten’s neck, his hands traveling around the other's soft skin. 

Sighing, Ten let his legs fall back down onto the mattress, Johnny still between them. They would be here for a while, but that was alright. 

Head beginning to clear, Johnny felt his rut symptoms go away for a while. No suppressant could ever win this feeling, and nothing else could help with the discomfort and pain. 

Tired, Ten licked his dry lips. ‘Never take those suppressants again.’ He said with a slur. ‘They make you smell weird.’

Johnny let out a laugh, hissing as the movement made him remember his knot. ‘I promise now, i will never take them again.’ He murmured, lowering himself down onto the bed, both him and Ten turning to lie on their sides.

Snuggling against Johnny’s chest, Ten kissed the skin over his chest, heart rate still increased and thumping underneath his skin. ‘Good.’ He whispered, smiling as Johnny’s hand caressed his back. 

Closing his eyes, Johnny let out a small sound when he felt Ten smack a hand against his arm.

‘Don’t think that i forgot what you made me go through.’ Ten reminded him. ‘I still haven’t completely forgiven you for ignoring me like that.’

Sighing, Johnny hugged him tighter. ‘I know, i know. I didn’t forget.’ He laughed. ‘But perhaps i wished you had.’

There was another smack against his arm.

 

*

 

‘Can we literally talk about anything else than this?’ Mark groaned, catching his members attention while he tossed and turned in his bed.

‘Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?’ Jeno asked, typing a message on his phone while participating in the conversation, that Mark wished would end.

Mark sighed, turning around in his bed and looking at the other's from his top bunk bed. He, Jeno and Kun were now sharing a room in the Beta / Omega dorm. Their dorm had three rooms, that they used one of. Winwin, Taeil and Yuta had one for their own while the rest of the Omegas from Dream shared the last one. But of course, they hardly ever stayed in their own room.   
‘Mark hyung, heats and ruts are a natural and beautiful thing.’ Jeno sung in a mocking matter, probably mimicking some teacher that once said something along the lines in school. But who really believed in it anyways. Not anyone who actually went through the mating season.

‘Speak for yourself.’ Renjun laughed. ‘The only thing beautiful about them is the fact that i get to eat as much as i want.’ The Omega murmured. ‘That is if i don’t puke all my guts out before.’

Mark groaned, not wanting to participate in the conversation again. He would leave the room, but Jaemin was probably there right now, talking to Chenle about the same exact thing. He didn’t really have a place to escape the mating season from, and all of the talk that came with it.

Trying to ignore what Jeno and Renjun were talking about, Mark just focused on staring at the ceiling in front of him, his thoughts traveling somewhere far away. 

He didn’t know why, but the talk about heats and ruts always kinda made him feel uncomfortable. He just found himself squirming in his seat, not ever really understanding the topics. Perhaps because he was a Beta or because of his background of growing up in a religious family. Whatever it was, he found himself avoiding these subjects a lot. But it was impossible to escape during spring. 

Almost all of the other members were very open with their experiences and how they go through mating season. It was never something that people hid from the members- and that was a very good thing, as it was only natural to go through heats and ruts. But Mark still felt slightly uncomfortable whenever the topic was brought up. Which lead to him never really learning about the phenomenon that well.

‘Did he ask you yet?’ Mark heard Renjun ask, but didn’t realize the question was targeted towards him.

‘Huh, what?’ 

‘Haechan. Did he ask you already?’ Renjun repeated himself, hugging the pillow that he stole from Kun’s bed.

Mark swallowed deeply, shaking his head. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Renjun let out an annoyed sigh that made Jeno laugh. ‘Did he ask you for your scent already?’ He said, raising his voice more.

Jeno gasped, phone dropping on his chest as he turned to look at the two. ‘Haechan wants Mark hyung’s scent?’

Cheeks turning red, Mark let out a cough. ‘No- i mean, no- he didn’t mean it like that-’

‘So he did?’ Renjun asked, and received a small nodd from Mark.

Mark was expecting to receive laughter, dumb jokes from the two because they found out. But that didn’t happen, which left Mark slightly taken back.

‘That’s really good.’ Jeno said cooly, as he got back to playing on his phone. Renjun agreed, saying something about how he worried that Haechan wasn’t going to ask at all, and that Renjun needed to do it for him.

‘I still need to ask Lucas.’ Renjun sighed, turning in Kun’s bed. 

Again, the way how naturally and without shame Renjun spoke about something so personal made Mark feel, almost jealous. He too wanted to be able to talk and think about these things without feeling embarrassed. 

Jeno hummed, looking over to Renjun. ‘Thanks for reminding me, i promised to give Jaemin and Chenle some of my clothes.’

Mark felt his stomach turn slightly, lips dry as he licked over them.

‘I-i think i’m gonna sleep now. I still feel kinda tired from the practice earlier.’ He lied, turning to face the wall. He could tell that Renjun and Jeno were not buying his excuse, but neither of them decided to bug him about this topic anymore. Which Mark was grateful for.

Renjun said his goodbyes, deciding that maybe he too should go sleep already in his own bed. 

Jeno too put down his phone, allowing the room to go dark. But Mark found it impossible to fall asleep, because of all these thoughts in his head.

This would be a long night.

**Author's Note:**

> [ my twitter is @mimmelil, feel free to come chat with me or leave a comment here! ]


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